FAQ

How long will information remain stored in case of a power outage?

Forever. The messages are stored in what is called Flash ROM. This is a permanent memory very similar to what you’d use on a digital camera. It has no need for power once the message is stored and there for it will remain until changed or deleted. There are no batteries or charge devices to drain and loose your info. This offers premium worry free operation as a standard.

Do eSign outdoor displays have a plexiglass panel on the front?

No they do not. Our eSign Outdoor displays have LED tiles that are sealed from the back to prevent moisture from entering the tiles. This allows the true vibrant color of the LED to shine brightly to get your message across. It has been proven that the shield can shorten the LED life due to heat buildup. Also, the unsightly moisture buildup in the lens cannot exist, giving your audience the best of everything, long-lasting display, bright and vibrant.

Is the eSign outdoor sign structure covered with power-coated paint?

Yes! The entire eSign display is constructed of aluminum and then black powder-coat paint is applied. This provides for superior protection against fading and peeling. Of course the entire sign is made of Aluminum so rust is NEVER an issue.

What is viewing angle and why is it important for LED message centers?

Viewing Angle is the angle at which you can clearly read the sign when you view from the side. This is important as your message will be viewable for longer periods of time by your targeted customers resulting in your LED sign message reaching more customers for a longer period of time as they pass by. eSign Electronic Message Centers have a 150 degree viewing angle which is the best in the industry.

To better understand this, eSign has come up with a very informative handout all about this! To download a copy click HERE

What is an LED?

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED’s are very different from light bulbs as they last for many years without burning out, generate significantly less heat, and consume far less energy. They typically require less than 1/10 to 1/40 the energy of incandescent light bulbs

Are all LEDs the same?

No, LED’s come in many grades of quality and brightness. eSign uses only the top grade of LED’s which allows us to give you a five year warranty on all outdoor LED displays. Our LED’s are Hi –Brite LED 's which allow easy viewing in direct sunshine.

What does Master/Slave mean?

Master/Slave means that there are two single sided displays supplied by eSign that the installer can mount together typically back to back. This facilitates installations on poles. Some refer to this as double sided or back to back displays. For communication purposes, the Master/Slave requires only one connection so that it acts like one sign.

We have a sign; why does my business need a message center?

Consider for a moment the speed at which traffic passes by the average business. A motorist has only a few seconds to see and comprehend any given sign. For example, on a street with traffic passing at 45 miles per hour, a car that is 500 feet in front of a given sign will have only 7.6 seconds to read the sign before it passes, under normal driving conditions. A business' sign must be conspicuous if it is to catch the attention of passing motorists within the limited amount of time available.

Motorists often spot electronic message centers quickly because the copy changes, the letters are illuminated, and the signs have traditionally been used as public service devices. Additionally, electronic message centers may have greater visibility from further distances, especially in poor lighting conditions, giving the motorist additional time to read the message displayed while safely maneuvering his or her vehicle.

Message Centers act as a consolidating type of advertising. In other words, they offer businesses a way of posting a variety of information in one place rather than relying on numerous signs and banners displayed in windows, for example. This can be a real advantage for a business located in a district with strict rules about temporary signs.

Most importantly, the electronic message center almost always increases a business's share of revenue. This is a result of the "branding" of the site through the use of specific logos, reinforcement of other advertising messages, allowing for public service notices, generating exact impulse stops, and helping to change customers' buying habits once they have stopped.

*as reported by the Small Business Association

How will an electronic message display work best for my business?

The growth in number of media options in recent years is good news for businesses because of the variety available to meet individual business communication needs. However, each new advertising option draws its audience away from other existing audiences. This is not true with EMCs. The display's audience is determined by the sign's message, its location, and the number of vehicles that pass it each day, and its audience continually grows.

The electronic message display rapidly becomes a landmark in a business's local community, because it offers a valuable public service to the entire community by displaying:

Public service information

Civic events

Personal and holiday greetings

Current time and temperature

Specific advertising messages

Passing viewers often look forward to reading clever new messages, and may even come to rely upon the message service in some settings. But most importantly to the business owner, the passing viewers will remember:

What the business is, and

Where the business is located.

*as reported by the Small Business Association

Is an electronic message center a cost-effective advertising medium?

Yes. Businesses often select their advertising medium, and messages, based upon the cost per thousand exposures of their message to the public. ON this basis, no other form of advertising comes close to matching the efficiency and cost-effectiveness, dollar for dollar, of an electronic message display.

Compare the figures below:-Newspaper advertising - the cost on average is about $7.39 for 1000 exposures within a 10-mile radius of the business location.-Television advertising - The cost on average is approximately $6.26 per 1000 exposures.-Radio advertising - The cost is about $5.47 per 1000 exposures.-New LED electronic message center display - The cost is less than $0.15 per 1000 exposures. How? Assume, for example, that you spend $30,000.00 on this type of system, and that its useful life is about ten years. The amortized daily cost of the message center would equal about $2.74. Add to this the daily cost of electricity for this new LED unit (approximately $0.20), thus giving your business a daily message center expense total of $8.82. With a daily traffic count of 20,000 vehicles passing your business, you would have a cost of less than $0.45 per thousand exposures (counting drivers only)!

Best of all, with an electronic message center, a business does not have to worry about missing its target audience, becoming "yesterday's news," or facing expensive production costs for changing its message, as happens frequently with the other forms of advertising mentioned.

With an electronic variable message display:- The business owns the form of advertising- The advertising works for the business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year- The sign acts as the "salesman on the street" attracting customers into the business- The advertising speaks directly to the potential customers as they drive past the business location, and the EMC makes the business a landmark in its community

Finally, many message center manufacturers provide leasing programs, which include service and maintenance, thereby providing another option for covering the cost of usage

*as reported by the Small Business Association

What level of return on investment can I expect?

For businesses that choose to enhance their signage with an electronic message display, the owners typically see an increase in business of 15% to 150%. Using the smaller number, consider the following example.

A small business generating $1,000.00 a day in revenue adds an electronic message center. The business soon increases by 15%, adding another $150 per day in total revenue. That translates into an additional $1,050.00 a week in revenue, or $54,600.00 per year.

It has been said that in retailing, "the last dollars are the best dollars," meaning that each additional customer adds a greater marginal percentage to the business's bottom line profit. In the foregoing example, we can only speculate upon the actual impact upon profit, but assuming that the business was at or above its "break-even" point before adding the electronic message center, the addition of $54,600.00 per year in revenue would clearly add to the business's profit.

Keep in mind that with this example, the investment in the electronic message center unit would likely be about one-third of the additional revenue generated in the first year of its operation alone.

*as reported by the Small Business Association

How are message centers used?

Message centers are used by businesses that want the flexibility to control their own graphics and message unit and be able to change their communication to meet their needs and the needs of their customers.

Large Corporations - have used such devices for years, in forums ranging from sports stadiums to Times Square. They like the ability to advertise their products in a dynamic format in which they can change their messages frequently and easily.

State Highway Departments have also realized the value of electronic message centers, and are increasingly using them to inform and direct traffic in large metropolitan areas, thereby easing traffic congestion and increasing traffic safety. Large-scale urban studies are currently being done to expand message center use in this area, with other "intelligent" components, to create integrated intelligent transportation systems. Under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), they are used for regulatory, warning, and guidance purposes related to traffic control.

Local Banks have for years used the familiar time and temperature units.

Small Businesses are quickly realizing the advertising power of these dynamic visual communications devices as most people in a community look at the signs frequently. Although EMCs have been quite expensive in the past, often costing around $30,000 or more for a small, simple unit, recent technological breakthroughs have drastically reduced production and operating costs, bringing them within an affordable range.